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  #21  
Old Posted Mar 22, 2012, 2:54 PM
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Originally Posted by C_Boy View Post
Downtown on-street parking pilot project info session: Mar 31 from 9-10am at Moncton City Hall

http://downtownmoncton.com/webcura/f...arch222012.pdf

I'm glad to see that they are referring to this as a "pilot project". I still don't think it's a good idea. The answer is really more public parking options in the downtown, especially a new parking garage or two. This is especially true with the announcement regarding the preferred location for the events centre.

On street parking on Main Street is the equivalent of fiddling while Rome burns....

Interesting to see in the paper today that Coun. Bourgeois is going on again about completely closing Main Street to through traffic, at least for two months every summer. This would absolutely destroy Main St as a viable commercial entity and is absolutely ludicrous when you consider that the events centre will be built on Main St!! I wonder if he has thought the implications of this through?
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  #22  
Old Posted Mar 22, 2012, 5:00 PM
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Originally Posted by MonctonRad View Post
Interesting to see in the paper today that Coun. Bourgeois is going on again about completely closing Main Street to through traffic, at least for two months every summer. This would absolutely destroy Main St as a viable commercial entity and is absolutely ludicrous when you consider that the events centre will be built on Main St!! I wonder if he has thought the implications of this through?
I agree with you closing Main St. is not the right idea, but that said, closing it on weekends from Friday at 8pm to Sunday at 8pm would be viable. Do it from about June 1st to end of September and then Main St. would flourish on the weekends...IMHO.

JL

PS> Also agree more streetside parking in downtown is just nutty...
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  #23  
Old Posted Mar 23, 2012, 12:43 AM
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From today's T&T

What will events centre look like?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Times & Transcript
By: Brent Mazerolle

Architects discuss possibilities for proposed downtown Moncton facility

Now that a preferred site for a long-sought multi-purpose events and community centre has been announced, ordinary citizens and experts alike - such as Moncton architects Pierre Gallant and Jim Scott - can now start sketching in their minds' eyes what such a facility might look like, on the current site of Highfield Square.

Read more:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=8628

------------------------------------------------------------

Well, now that we finally know where the events centre will finally be built, we can be a little more specific in terms of what we think the facility should look like and what it may include.....



On the map above, you can see that the city has optioned the majority of the Highfield Square site, including the triangular parking lot extending along the north side of the CNR mainline east as far as the subway.

Obviously the arena itself will be built where the current mall is. The more interesting question is what will happen to the triangular parking lot? It would be a waste for it to remain surface parking. In addition, if the arena is to be 9-10,000 seats, we will need a high density parking solution. It could therefore become a parking facility but I have a hunch that it's destiny will be something different, especially with the Aquillini property across the street. I wonder if this part of the property is destined for mixed commercial/retail space and/or a convention facility linked by a pedway across Main Street to the Aquillini property.

If so, where will the parking garage (garages) go? We have speculated on this forum in the past that a parking facility could be built on the other side of the CN mainline, linked by a pedway to the events centre. I think this remains a viable option. I wonder if the city is looking into this.

What should be included in the events centre itself? Obviously the rink would be the major component of this part of the complex. Will there be skyboxes (I imagine). Will there be an onsite restaurant? What about the concessions on the concourses? What food options would people like to see included? Will there be a new hotel? What type of architectural style would people like to see? What type of public spaces should be included?

How about an integrated transit terminal? I would think this is a no-brainer, especially since there is already a transit terminal at Highfield Square. I would personally like to see the new transit terminal closely incorporated into the events centre, even to the point where the transit terminal is enclosed in the facility, or at least have the bus loading area covered and not exposed directly to the elements. That would be a real drawing point if you could exit the arena and board your bus directly without getting wet.

Anyway, I would be interested to know what others on the forum think. This could make an interesting discussion......
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  #24  
Old Posted Mar 23, 2012, 1:18 AM
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The triangular section of the lot would make for a pretty inefficient parking structure. I don't know what the optimum shape is, but I'm pretty sure that isn't it. The rink itself could be built closer to the tracks than where the mall is currently though. You could fill in that corner with some kind of public space either inside or outside of the main building. Depending on where parking is situated, that might make for a distinctive concourse or lobby.

Everything I've heard related to the city seems to imply that they aren't too keen on having a lot of parking, so transit is certainly going to be a major component. Since the city really ought to have a downtown transit hub, this would be a perfect fit. The events centre is going to be in use primarily at times where transit ridership dies down.

It'd be really great to see Acadian (or whoever ends up running intercity bus, if we ever get that back) tie in to it as well. Having municipal transit, intercity bus and rail all at roughly the same place would be ideal. Halifax already has a combined bus/train terminal and that seems to function well.

I do think we should get rid of the pedway across Main. It isn't used all that much, and they only serve to take people away from the street.

We've got a great asset in the Santa Claus parade every winter. It might be nice to integrate a lot of glass on the Main facade so that people who aren't able to enjoy the parade because of physical limitations or whatever else would have a place to see it. Including a lot of glass could be a good way to turn the Main-facing parts of the building as a venue for art displays which can draw people in.

Beyond that, the sky is the limit, really. The city has a fantastic opportunity to learn from venues all over the country to see what works and what doesn't. I think it's important to bear in mind that Moncton isn't Toronto though. The project is still going to have to be at a scale that is appropriate and sustainable for a city that's less than 200k.
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  #25  
Old Posted Mar 24, 2012, 3:06 AM
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I find your idea of having an integrated transit hub (Codiac Transpo, Acadian Lines & VIA Rail) intriguing. Unfortunately, Acadian just moved their Moncton terminal up to the east end of St. George St., but otherwise there would be some interesting synergies here. If this were to transpire, the transit hub would have to be at the rear of the property, near the VIA station. This would not necessarily be a bad thing however as it would allow the Main St facade of the events centre to have an enhanced street presence. Busses could enter the transit terminal at the rear via the driveway off Vaughan Harvey that passes between the VIA station and Sobeys. The exit could be the driveway that leads to Highfield St.

I think the events centre needs to have a significant street presence. By this, I mean that I don't think there should be a public plaza separating the events centre from Main St. The centre should border on the sidewalk and should have streetfront retail and commercial frontage. This was a big mistake with Highfield Square. The facade of Highfield on Main St was just a blank wall. This killed the west end of Main St and this mistake should not be repeated. We all want a vibrant streetscape with shops, cafes, pubs and patios on the sidewalk.

I agree that the existing pedway to the federal building should be removed. It serves no purpose. I could see it being replaced however with a new pedway to the east, connecting the Aquillini block with whatever gets built on the current Highfield Square parking lot. I could see a combination of a hotel, convention space and condos in this area.

The president of DMCI stated something in the paper the other day to the effect that he could see the $100M events centre leading to another $100M of developments in the surrounding area. I believe he is correct. I think this is why you will see the province staying on board with this initiative. I also believe that the feds will find some way of getting involved as well.
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  #26  
Old Posted Mar 26, 2012, 11:47 AM
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I think if they plan on integrating a bus terminal they can get some federal cash for that portion of the development. Right now the feds aren't going to put any money into arenas, they have made it look like bad policy and you can't really argue with that.
I've always thought we should have a transit terminal similar to the Charles Street terminal in Kitchener/Waterloo. The platforms are accessed through the building via a pedway so people don't have to cross the road, tickets can be purchased inside. The platforms are all covered, but open on the sides. It was a very easy system to figure out. As you can also see from the image I have posted, they have places for the inter city buses to stop at. If they could somehow figure out a way how to link this with the train station they would have a really good transit setup.
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  #27  
Old Posted Mar 26, 2012, 8:09 PM
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This blogger makes an interesting point

Quote:
Reviving a downtown coes not begin with a hockey arena or an events centre. We have a hockey arena. If a hockey arena drew other commercial activity, the Coliseum would now be surrounded by restaurants and boutiques. Instead, it's surrounded by a huge parking lot and, beyond that, dandelions.

Downtowns are built by mass transit.
Graeme Decarie from http://themonctongrimes-dripdrain.blogspot.ca/
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  #28  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2012, 12:10 AM
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Originally Posted by riverviewer View Post
This blogger makes an interesting point
If the arena is within walking distance of other things then surely restaurants and boutiques will spring up. When it was built the Coliseum was out in the middle of nowhere, and you had to drive to get there. It is essentially the same as it is now.

When the new events centre is built in downtown Moncton, people will be able to walk to it from existing businesses in the downtown. Money is spent when you get people out on their feet and not sitting in their cars. It is at this point that you see nearby businesses popping up.

Mass transit does play a role in this as long as it allows people to get from Point A to Point B.
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  #29  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2012, 12:38 AM
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Thanks Benvui, this looks good.....



If this could be covered from the elements and placed close to the VIA station, this would make an ideal transit node for VIA, intercity bus and Codiac Transpo. You could even have a joint ticketing centre. Imagine it connected directly to the events centre, possibly with an enclosed hallway leading directly to Main St.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding the comments by the blogger, I do not agree with him at all.....

The coliseum was never meant to be surrounded by shops and services. It's surrounded by acres of surface parking and is immediately adjacent to an exit onto the divided highway. It is a suburban arena designed to get people into and out of the facility as quickly as possible.

A downtown events centre on the other hand will encourage people to linger in the neighbourhood, especially if properly designed and integrated into the streetscape. It will encourage new shops and boutiques and will be a focal point for the downtown. Of this I have no doubt.

The events centre in itself won't save the core, but it will serve as a catalyst to begin the process. What will save the core is if people want to live there and spend their leisure time there. The core has to be a vibrant part of the community. A core composed only of office buildings and parking lots has no heart and soul. The events centre will inject new life in the downtown....
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  #30  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2012, 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by MonctonRad View Post
Thanks Benvui, this looks good.....



If this could be covered from the elements and placed close to the VIA station, this would make an ideal transit node for VIA, intercity bus and Codiac Transpo. You could even have a joint ticketing centre. Imagine it connected directly to the events centre, possibly with an enclosed hallway leading directly to Main St.
When I was in KW, the platforms were covered/shielded for the most part, though at some angles the rain/wind could get in. Still it was a very nice setup and would probably work well for Moncton if all the pieces could get together (and if we ever get intercity bus service again) Moncton especially should have enough non-Transit bus service routes available to do well, as long as we get a company that wants to run those intercity routes. (Moncton to PEI, Truro/Halifax/Sydney, Saint John, Freddy and Bathurst are routes that should work well)
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  #31  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2012, 7:34 PM
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Pedway

My suggestion is to have a glassed in pedway connecting the centre over the railroad tracks to the parking lot (or parking garage?) on Albert Street.
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  #32  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2012, 8:36 PM
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My suggestion is to have a glassed in pedway connecting the centre over the railroad tracks to the parking lot (or parking garage?) on Albert Street.
This is the perfect place for someone to build a parking garage to service the events centre. It would also have the advantage of emptying traffic onto Assomption rather than Main St and woold be well placed to service possible future developments in the downtown area between Main & Assomption.
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  #33  
Old Posted Mar 28, 2012, 2:03 PM
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This is the perfect place for someone to build a parking garage to service the events centre. It would also have the advantage of emptying traffic onto Assomption rather than Main St and woold be well placed to service possible future developments in the downtown area between Main & Assomption.


Totally agreed...that is the prime location for a parking structure.
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  #34  
Old Posted Mar 28, 2012, 10:59 PM
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In the T&T article questioning what the center might look like they mention the Ford Center in Evansville...that would be my perfect idea of our events center...heres a look:




source: http://www.courierpress.com/photos/g...section_header

Can you imagine a concessions area like this, with large glass walls...looking up at Crowne Plaza across the street, or over at central downtown as trains pass on the "subway" bridge?? It makes me super excited for the idea
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  #35  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2012, 12:35 AM
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This would be awesome!!!
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  #36  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2012, 12:28 PM
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source - http://explorestlouis.com/meetings-c...ericas-center/

Considering the hertitage federal building at the corner of Main and Highfield and that the Main Street facade of the events centre will face North, I prefer a streetscape such as this to a glass wall.
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  #37  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2012, 12:44 PM
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I like both, but I think I like mmmatt's a bit better...
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  #38  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2012, 1:21 PM
JasonL-Moncton JasonL-Moncton is offline
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Columbus Civic Center - 10,000 seats


Stockton Events Center - 10,000 seats (home to Stockton Thunder ECHL)


Van Andel Arena - 10,000 + seats (home to Grand Rapids Griffins IHL)



Citizens Business Bank Arena - 10,800 seats (home of Ontario Reign ECHL)



Gwinnett Ceter - 11,500 (home of Gwinnett Gladiators ECHL)


MTS Center - 15,000 seats


Food for thought...
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  #39  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2012, 10:50 PM
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^ All great ideas!

I'm all for a heritage/modern look...I just hope there are lots of high quality materials and glass.

On another note one of the last lots for sale in Flanders court (where the new oultons college is going) has been sold!

Here is the info sheet on it from Colliers:

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...QcpG-P29WeqqmA

That leaves only one lot left
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  #40  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2012, 11:41 PM
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For the events centre, I would prefer an imposing streetfront presence rather than having a plaza in front of the building. This would accentuate the urbanity of the core (God it needs it!!)

Examples would be:





This would not preclude the inclusion of heritage elements in the facade, and in fact this would be a very nice touch which would certainly help to define the events centre with relation to other similar venues in the region. In particular, given it's location on the old ICR HQ site and ICR railway station, a railway theme of some kind would be ideal. Perhaps the facade could be crafted to resemble a grand old railway station...



This is the old ICR station that used to occupy this site before Highfield Square. The centre part of the station could certainly be used as an inspiration for the main entrance to the events centre.....

If we go for a railway themed building with a major street presence, I don't think this necessarily precludes glassed in concourses like mmmatt showed us....



A concourse like this could be included on the side of the building, perhaps facing the driveway leading into the property from Highfield Street.
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